Wire-tightener



No. 6l2,||5. Patented Oct. Il, |898. H. MACK.

WIRE TIGHTENER.

(Appicarion med Jan. 12, 189B.)

(No Model.)

Witlgesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIANFORD MACK, OF HOMER, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,115, dated October 11, 1898.

Application tiled. January 12, 1898. Serial No. 666 ,484. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANEORD MACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at the village of Homer, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tighteners for the strands of wire fences or for wires generally.

The objects of this invention are, iirst, to produce a wire-tightener which is extremely easy of operation; second, to produce a wirefence tightener which is cheap to construct and that requires no nishing in any particular; third, to produce an improved wire-fence tightener in which a spool is used which shall have supports that are conveniently and easily and positively retained in position by a loop of the wire alone; fourth, to provide an improved wire-fence tightener which when placed on the strands naturally assumes the proper position for the operation of its various parts.

Further objects will appear in the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish these objects of my invention by the devices and means described in this specification. p

The invention is deiinitely pointed out in the claims.

The structure is fully illustrated in the accompanying,r drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my tightener in position. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings similar letters of reference refer to, similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring tothe lettered parts of the drawings, .A is one portion of the strand, and A the opposite connecting portion of the strand, of .the fence. The tightener consists of the spool C, having ratchets C' C' upon the flanges thereof. Journals D D' project from the ends of the spool and are beveled toward the iianges of the spool to properly retain the cheek-piece. Cheek-pieces B B are provided to engage the spool, having suitable bearings for the journals D D therein. The ends of the cheek-pieces D D/ are provided with an aperture F and alternately-projecting lugs which engage each other. The aperture F is for a loop of the wire or strand A to bring the same together. The ends of the cheekpieces B B project beyond the liangeof the spool and are provided with angular slots G, into which a nail is loosely inserted to drop down and serve as a pawl to engage the ratchet on the flanges of the spool. An aperture is made through the barrel of the spool C and receives the strand A, which is intended to tighten. The` journal D of the spool is eX- tended as a square shank to receive a wrench or a crank for the purpose of rotating it to tighten the strand. The shank need not be square, but could be of an irregular form to receive a suitable wrench for the purpose. So long as the shank projects sufficiently to be engaged by a crank it is all that is desired.

It will be seen from this description that the parts of my improved fence-fastener tightener can be made of castings and that they can be cast so that no finishingis required other than to rattle them and that owing to this peculiar structure they positively t together to answer the purpose. It will be observed also that by placing theslots G beyond the spool from the attached ends of the cheekpieces B B when the same is Wound the wire goes onto the top of the spool and the slot G naturallydepends in position to best serve its purpose as a guide.

It is needless to remark that the slots G might be placed between the points of attachment and the spool. They will of course lose the advantages of naturally retaining the same in the proper position for the nail to engage the ratchet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,` isl. In a tightener for wires the combination of the spool C, having a projecting shank at one side with journals D, D', tapering toward the anges of the spool and having ratchets C, C', on the edges of the flanges thereof, cheek-pieces B, B', to support the spool containing the aperture F, toward one end to receive a loop of wire and be retained thereby, the said cheek-pieces having suitable oppositely-projecting lugs to locate them in relation to each other and inclined slots G, be-

ICO

on the lianges thereof, and a projecting shank and a piu supported in the angular guidingslot G, to engage the teeth to serve as a paWl forthe purpose specified. p

3. A Wire-tightener consisting of suitable cheek-pieces With an eye therethrough adapted to be retained in position by a loop in the wire and containing suitable j ournal-bearings and angular slots to guide the ratchet-pin a spool to be supported in said journal-bearing having ratchets on theiianges thereof; and a projecting shank; a nail in the angular slots adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth of the spool, all coacting for the purpose specified.

4. 'In a Wire-tightener the combination of suitable cheek pieces containing journalbearings, and a spool With journals tapering toward the iianges thereof, for the purpose specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two Witnesses.

HANFORD MACK. [L

- itnessesz JOHN SNIDER, A. ANDRUs 

